Southern California -- this just in

Family outraged after woman killed by tow truck during car repossession

March 2, 2011 | 7:01
am

The case of a woman who officials say was fatally dragged by a tow truck repossessing her car in Chino Hills on Tuesday has sparked anger among her family and neighbors.

Lisa Via, 42, died at Chino Valley Medical Center at 2:56 a.m. after being crushed while standing between the car and a tow truck, said San Bernardino County coroner officials, who said she was dragged 40 feet. Authorities are investigating, but the tow truck driver has not been arrested.

"This should not have happened," said Via's sister, Sandy Pavlek, in an interview with KTLA. "A tow truck killed her right in her driveway."

Some neighbors complained that two truck drivers come early in the morning and grab cars without telling residents.

Officials said Chino Valley firefighters arrived on the scene in the 15000 block of Monte Vista Avenue after 1 a.m. to find the woman injured. She was put on advanced life support and taken to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead, said Massiel De Guevara, a spokeswoman for the Chino Valley Independent Fire District.

According to KTLA, as the tow-truck driver began pulling the car out of the driveway, he lost sight of Via and assumed she was away from the vehicles. At that point, Via's husband ran outside and told the driver his wife was stuck under the car. The driver used a jack to lift the car and pulled Via out from underneath.